Fuel cell vehicle and activation method of fuel cell vehicle

Abstract

A fuel cell vehicle is mounted with a fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack and a battery. The fuel cell vehicle controls operation of the fuel cell system with an ECU, to perform standby power generation from activation to when travel is allowed and to perform power generation during operation of the fuel cell vehicle after travel has been allowed. In an activation method, the power generation current is increased in accordance with a low-temperature efficiency rate during the power generation during operation, the battery is charged and the power generation current is increased in accordance with a standby current increase rate that is lower than the low-temperature efficiency rate during the standby power generation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fuel cell vehicle mounted with a fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack and a battery that is charged with power generated by the fuel cell stack, the fuel cell vehicle travelling using power of the fuel cell stack and the battery, and comprising:
 a control section configured to, when a surrounding environment is at a low ambient temperature, control operation of the fuel cell system prior to travelling, to perform a standby power generation from activation to when travel is allowed, and to perform a power generation during operation of the fuel cell vehicle after travel has been allowed, wherein: 
 the control section includes one or more processors; 
 during the power generation during operation, the one or more processors increase a power generation current of the fuel cell stack in accordance with a first current increase rate; and 
 during the standby power generation, the one or more processors cause the battery to be charged with the power generated by the fuel cell stack and, when the power generation current of the fuel cell stack exceeds a standby switching current value set based on temperature information including at least one of the ambient temperature and a temperature of the fuel cell stack, the one or more processors switch the first current increase rate to a second current increase rate that is a lower increase rate than the first current increase rate and increase the power generation current of the fuel cell stack in accordance with the second current increase rate. 
 
     
     
       2. The fuel cell vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein during activation of the fuel cell system, the one or more processors judge whether to implement low-temperature activation that is performed in a state where the surrounding environment is at a low ambient temperature, and perform control in accordance with the first current increase rate and the second current increase rate according to the judgment concerning whether to implement the low-temperature activation. 
     
     
       3. The fuel cell vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein during activation of the fuel cell system, the one or more processors acquire a state of charge of the battery and judge whether to perform control in accordance with the first current increase rate or the second current increase rate, based on the state of charge. 
     
     
       4. The fuel cell vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors increase the power generation current of the fuel cell stack in accordance with the first current increase rate, from immediately after start of the standby power generation to when the power generation current of the fuel cell stack exceeds the standby switching current value. 
     
     
       5. The fuel cell vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors include standby map information indicating a relationship between the temperature information and the standby switching current value, and reference the standby map information during activation of the fuel cell system to set the standby switching current value based on the acquired temperature information. 
     
     
       6. The fuel cell vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors set a standby upper limit current value that is an upper limit of the power generation current of the fuel cell stack during the standby power generation, based on a state of charge of the battery, and perform control such that the power generation current of the fuel cell stack becomes less than or equal to the standby upper limit current value. 
     
     
       7. The fuel cell vehicle according to  claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors implement control to increase the power generation current of the fuel cell stack in accordance with the second current increase rate, until the power generation current exceeds the standby upper limit current value. 
     
     
       8. The fuel cell vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors set an operation upper limit current value that is an upper limit of the power generation current during the power generation during operation, and restrict the power generation current of the fuel cell stack to be less than or equal to the operation upper limit current value. 
     
     
       9. The fuel cell vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein
 during activation of the fuel cell system, the one or more processors set an implementation time period of the standby power generation, based on the temperature information that has been acquired, and transition to the power generation during operation when a count time surpasses the implementation time period of the standby power generation. 
 
     
     
       10. An activation method of a fuel cell vehicle mounted with a fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack and a battery that is charged with power generated by the fuel cell stack, the fuel cell vehicle travelling using power of the fuel cell stack and the battery, and being configured to, when a surrounding environment is at a low ambient temperature, control operation of the fuel cell system with a control section prior to travelling, to perform standby power generation from activation to when travel is allowed and to perform power generation during operation of the fuel cell vehicle after travel has been allowed, the activation method comprising:
 during the power generation during operation, increasing a power generation current of the fuel cell stack in accordance with a first current increase rate; and 
 during the standby power generation, charging the battery with the power generated by the fuel cell stack and, when the power generation current of the fuel cell stack exceeds a standby switching current value set based on temperature information including at least one of the ambient temperature and a temperature of the fuel cell stack, switching the first current increase rate to a second current increase rate that is a lower increase rate than the first current increase rate and increasing the power generation current of the fuel cell stack in accordance with the second current increase rate. 
 
     
     
       11. The fuel cell vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein the surrounding environment is determined to be at a low temperature on a basis of the ambient temperature outside the fuel cell vehicle or a temperature detected by a temperature sensor provided in a flow channel of the fuel cell system. 
     
     
       12. The activation method according to  claim 10 , wherein the surrounding environment is determined to be at a low temperature on a basis of the ambient temperature outside the fuel cell vehicle or a temperature detected by a temperature sensor provided in a flow channel of the fuel cell system. 
     
     
       13. A fuel cell vehicle mounted with a fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack and a battery that is charged with power generated by the fuel cell stack, the fuel cell vehicle travelling using power of the fuel cell stack and the battery, and comprising:
 a control section configured to, when a surrounding environment is at a low ambient temperature, control operation of the fuel cell system prior to travelling, to perform a standby power generation from activation to when travel is allowed, and to perform a power generation during operation of the fuel cell vehicle after travel has been allowed, wherein: 
 the control section includes one or more processors; 
 during the power generation during operation, the one or more processors increase a power generation current of the fuel cell stack in accordance with a first current increase rate; and 
 during the standby power generation, the one or more processors cause the battery to be charged with the power generated by the fuel cell stack and, when the power generation current of the fuel cell stack exceeds a standby switching current value set based on temperature information including at least one of the ambient temperature and a coolant outlet temperature, the one or more processors switch the first current increase rate to a second current increase rate that is a lower increase rate than the first current increase rate and increase the power generation current of the fuel cell stack in accordance with the second current increase rate.